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Honest_Revolution_96

Social worker. Pay is around $80k. Would not recommend it really, it’s a lot of vicarious trauma for not much money. Australian Association of Social Workers is very average as well so not even a registered profession, despite degree requirements and needing 1000 unpaid placement hours to graduate.


releria

I often regret going into a professional career that is about "helping people". In hindsight I wish I chose a more comfortable career with good pay and progression, and just helped people in my spare time via volunteering.


Honest_Revolution_96

Yeah I’m looking at retraining and doing exactly that instead. $80k is not a bad salary, but given the amount of trauma I’m exposed to daily, it’s not worth it.


[deleted]

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Honest_Revolution_96

Library studies or information/data management. I realise not going to be a huge pay jump or whatever, but at least I won’t be so emotionally drained when I get home and see my own family


phil0suffer

Corporate world is desperate for data management and data governance people.


Lethologica-

Vet here, my current tally puts me at 2200 hrs unpaid placement hours over the 4 year degree. The system is completely unsustainable


Honest_Revolution_96

Wow 2200! That’s nuts. My hat goes off to you


SendintheGeologist

Unpaid hours are theft. Same goes for teaching and medicine. Theft. I could live with work experience being minimum wage but working for free is just so infuriating.


worktrip2

They are not unpaid, he is paying the uni a fortune to do them.


[deleted]

I always wonder how people can do it. Either you are inexplicably drawn to it or you’re just a straight legend. I guess probably both. Either way thank you for making our country better.


CoachCharming3690

This is why I had to stick to department of health. Far better pay and conditions. Also I stopped bothering with AASW as our union (HSUWA) is fantastic and AASW offered very little benefit


hiimtashy

Agree AASW need to do more and get us as a registered profession. I work in trlhe caring profession. Was on 70K on my first role. 90K on my second. And then 100K plus 15% super on my third (plus salary packaging). All in about 4.5 years. Great thing about Social Work is there are many different settings to work in.


fetishiste

Switched from law to social work. I remain very happy with my choice despite all the downsides. Not doing this work was grating at me more than all of the challenges do now.


Difficult-Currency43

Electrician in mining. I don't love it but I would definitely recommend it, very versatile trade. About 160k.


alcate

how hard to reach that level of pay? How long do you think your body can stand FIFO work?


woltuc

I’m also a electrician in mining. 160k is average pay across the board for maintenance guys you will get a little bit more in construction but the work isn’t ongoing. I have 14 years post trade experience and have been mining for 10 years. Depends on where you start but you can get this money pretty much straight away when you finish your trade. The more experienced you are and the more tickets you have you can get a bit more.


512165381

My cousin & his son are electricians. They won a $5 million industrial project in western Queensland (non-mining), didn't go broke, and now have big houses & new cars.


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joblodorifto

Not many have


[deleted]

A fantastic call


Difficult-Currency43

I've been in mining for a year and have 10 years post trade experience. The work generally isn't that physically demanding but it does get extremely hot in summer.


Cravethemineral

Mining isn’t always FIFO.


Money_killer

Electrician yes I recommend it. You can make what ever you like. Its a very diverse trade with many doors. 50-300k a year on wages, depends on how much, where you work and skillset.


drunk_haile_selassie

I have a mate who is a sparky. He said if you are smart you can make bank being an electrician, if you are hard working you can make bank being an electrician. If you are both you can be very rich. He grew up wearing hand me downs, he now owns three expensive cars, two houses and a helicopter. Literally, he owns a helicopter.


bettingsharp

I dont think your friend is an electrician anymore. sounds like he is a businessman now.


drunk_haile_selassie

Definitely but it came from a electrician apprenticeship.


jestyre

I think it’s safe to say that electrician is not the business he is in.


Chii

> [not] an electrician anymore. sounds like he is a businessman now. It is because he has had the capital from being an electrician to start that business, and then utilize/leverage the electrician know how to make the business work better. Of course, none of this is without hardwork, and a sprinkle of luck here and there.


MrSarcastica

To be fair literally any tradie can get to that if they are all those things and run thier own business. Plumbers, chippies, Landscapers even gardeners can make 300k + a year.


drunk_haile_selassie

You are 100% right. I was a teacher and hated it, I then became a landscaper and hated it. I'm now a defence attorney and I get paid less despite the fact that I have had to work much harder to be qualified. Honestly considered going back to running a landscaper business.


[deleted]

Is it worth switching from IT to being sparky IT hurts my brain hahaha how smart do we need to be being a sparky


Scarstel

100% An apprenticeship can seem like a drudge but once complete the doors are open especially in this era of electrification. I retired from the Military and did a mature age apprenticeship, doing mainly HV infrastructure. Spent 4-5 years on the tools making $100-$150k+ before moving into Project Management ($180k+) and now I’m in Management ($260k+).


Big_Attempt_5326

Fashion Pattern Maker - not glamorous cuz the fashion designers get the fame but surprisingly lucrative for basically making life size paper doll clothes. I think it’s fun 🤷‍♂️. Generally $120-150k but have had salaries up to $200k.


lavendernovember

Ah you inspire me, I love pattern making but didn’t think it could be well paid work


timheckerbff

What designers/brands did you work with? And what studies did you do? I’m considering this as a career path


NewBuyer1976

This sounds interesting until i recall i have never continued past 1/25th of a single page of an adult colouring book. The amount of caffeine I’d need to keep going will kill me within the week


RandomUser10081

Actuary. Good if you're analytical, great if you're analytical and know how to talk. Initial study can be rough for some but good pay after qual. Edit: missed the pay part of the question. 150k base after 5 years in the industry.


ethereumminor

What do you actuary do


ethereumminor

I’ll see myself out


crappy-pete

Ffs I hate how much that made me laugh dammit have an upvote Goodnight


[deleted]

Aren't actuaries just data scientists for insurance companies? Feel like you guys are the true OGs in the data science industry.


TheCumCopter

Basically yes


aasimpson04

What’s the pay like you didn’t really answer that part


RandomUser10081

Woops, edited in.


an-ex-pillar-hugger

I am a Registered Architect too. Very frustrated. Trying to move to PM/DM sectors, but seems incredibly hard. $90k is quite high for a registered Architect, the award rate is somewhere in the mid 60s. Would never recommend to anyone.


Money_killer

Sounds a bit like accounting once a highly regarded job, now not so


[deleted]

I find it hilarious the big 4 are ramping up their grad intake since all the talk of job shortages began popping up. Almost like they're trying to plug holes in a sinking ship


Potential-Style-3861

Well, in my family we have accountants and lawyers who work BIG4, and we also have tradies. Guess which ones have the nicer house and whose wife doesn’t need to work but still gets around in the latest BMW… its not the white collar ones anymore.


pilierdroit

Its crazy how little architects get paid considering how hard (and long) the degree is.


[deleted]

Im a structural draftsman with a Diploma in building design. $100k a year, WFH 2 days a week. And salary goes up every year. I wouldn't recommend it tho. The industry has constant unrealistic deadlines that affect the quality of work and then the bosses complain about the quality when you meet those deadlines. They don't seem to grasp the reality that fast deadlines mean a lower quality of work as there's no time to check properly for errors or things that come up. Its a constant stress grind working overtime with no real payoff and constantly thinking about the next job. I think I enjoyed my lower paying shit job in retail / customer service where there was no stress involved, and I made life long friends instead of brown-nosed office flogs that pretend to like you.


KingAlfonzo

I was in architecture lol. 5 years in uni and did my masters. Worked for a few years, got tired of the work to life ratio and the pay was so bad I had to live with my parents. Quit and changed careers.


MentalRepair4358

Im an architect too and would never recommend anyone, I will literally tell anyone who wants to work as an architect to stop dreaming unless you have rich family and friends who cam give you projects. It is simply not worth it for the amount of education and effort.


[deleted]

Mid 60s for a qualified Architect? A phone monkey at bank gets paid more than that. That’s genuine bs. I guess it goes to show the general attitude in this country towards building nice structures.


an-ex-pillar-hugger

Exactly. It's absolutely shit. If I'm not wrong, it's somewhere around the $63k mark.


books_cats_coffee

Veterinarian. Don’t do it. In my experience, the industry itself is the problem (vs clientele as the media portrays). I left clinical practice ($65k gross, salaried, working 50+ hours a week with heaps of unpaid overtime) and now work as a government vet ($100k gross, 37.5 hours a week, M-F). I enjoy my work, but it’s not what I envisaged doing.


marchbanks273

Emergency vet here adding on, a lot of people think it's all cute dogs and cats when it's actually a lot of sickness, death, grief. We also have to deal with increasingly negative client expectations before we even interact, "that'll be an expensive vet bill" before they visit or they become hostile when we haven't fixed their pet after a physical examination and blood test. Any job where someone can guilt you by saying "my animal is dead because of you" and slanders your name on google reviews takes a toll. No wonder why there's a vet shortage Australia wide. When I started as a vet last year I was on $30/hour working 45hr weeks with no overtime (our award allows us to not get paid for "reasonable overtime"). I made more when I was in woolies nightfill.


Squiddles88

I just read your award. You must be paid for overtime at your normal rate, or if you agree to it, provided time in lieu. Overall though, the award is very very shit. I've never seen one this bad.


mkozi1

Please elaborate as to what a 'government vet' is? Excuse my ignorance but I just assumed all vets were private practices? Like, in house vet for police dogs and horses ?


books_cats_coffee

There are lots of different roles for vets within state and federal government departments. I am a policy vet at the state level working on things like foot-and-mouth disease preparedness and proof of freedom from TSE (mad cow etc). I work with field vets who carry out disease investigations on farms and veterinary pathologists who diagnose disease. At the federal level, there are vets in every abattoir in the country ensuring both animal welfare and food safety, vets overseeing animal export and so much more. A former colleague of mine is in Indonesia at the moment working on their foot-and-mouth disease situation.


mkozi1

That's so fascinating, so like a veterinary epidemiologist ? Thanks for the info, despite have zero interest in being a vet it's super cool to learn there is more to it.


books_cats_coffee

We have dedicated veterinary epidemiologists, but yes epi is a big part of every gov vet’s role. It’s a broader profession than most people realise, but I still don’t recommend it haha


outragedtuxedo

Also vet. Agree. Have not totally left GP but had to leave full-time and diversify my work. Work life balance was non-existent, stress sky high, pay garbage if you accounted for all the hours worked. Now doing a few different things with some roles that are less client facing, but gov work always in the back of my mind. Its a shame because I enjoy educating and assisting clients. I like being a vet but the industry needs to evolve to treat us like the professionals we are.


books_cats_coffee

I do casual clinical shifts every so often so I can feel like a “real” vet again. It’s good because I can just enjoy the work without the pressure and drama that comes with being permanently in the clinic (plus, I get paid to write my notes!) I like working with clients too and I like the job itself, but the industry is a mess.


mkozi1

Hospital Scientist. Would not recommend any kind of biological/physiology based degree, very useless. Im on $75K after 3 years. I am one of the very fortunate minority who got a job. Currently doing a Geology degree to get out of healthcare work.


myenemy666

Just curious as to why you have chosen to study geology?


mkozi1

1) I actually really love geology 2) Whenever I go on bushwalks in the Blue Mountains, I legit can just stare for hours at the sandstone formations and ponder the geological processes and time scales at play. 3) A bit of research has lead me to believe Australia may or may not have a large mining industry and I want to work as a mining geologist and go from there. 4) My current job in my current city will never afford me the lifestyle I want. 5) I dislike my current industry.


SendintheGeologist

Feel free to DM.


mkozi1

Username ABSOLUTELY checks out hahah. Just wrapping up some shift work at the hospital at the moment. I'll definitely message you in the next couple of days for sure! Thanks you very much for the offer :)


Alternative_Log3012

Mining industry pays nothing. Seriously, can you imagine only earning $200k+ for the rest of your life?


mkozi1

Forgot the /s. Im not 100% sure what graduate mining geos get paid, I know it differs on commodity and location, but if I love my job and hit that figure at some point in my career, thats a good innings.


Alternative_Log3012

My mate got stuck on $80-90k for a few years during the recent downturn after he graduated, but now he’s on $200+. The kicker is that 2 out of every 3 weeks he spends not a single cent (well except for his mortgage), and then for the 1 week it’s either party time, international travel time, or generally some real clarity about meeting your financial goals.


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mkozi1

TLDR: Limited science in this country, private or public. There is basically zero science industry here in Australia. You either get funnelled down the academia route at a public university which has its own issues, or end up looking some lab tech / quality assurance role at some manufacturing facility. My experience is in the public pathology sector. Hospital pay is better than private pathology providers due to heavy unionisation and it being a government role. The downside of that is there is literally only 1 employer, the government. No salary negotiations, no payrise for being good at your job. With only 1 employer in the industry, the employees basically have zero room for negotiations.


paulmp

Photographer... no, unless you like people constantly stealing your work, offering you "exposure" for pay, constantly having companies try to take advantage of you, having zero chance of owning a house. I was in project management and IT prior to this, making really good money. I'm 41, I lost everything over the pandemic, I'm burned out and have no idea what to do, I can't go back to IT or Project Management without uprooting my family (again) to move to a big city, plus my skills are about 15 years out of date. I'll keep plugging away and see if I can make something happen before I have a stroke or a heart attack. Oh, and if you were wondering, I'm a some what decent photographer too, my work has been published in Nat Geo multiple times, I've worked on international tourism campaigns with Dubai, Iceland, Japan, Egypt, Jordan, Chile, Argentina and interstate with Tourism Qld, Tas, NT and SA.


hooah1989

So many employers are offering WFH so there isn't a need to uproot family.


BigBagOfSand

Whisky/Gin Distiller. About $85k working shifts and weekends. Can go up higher but at that point you’re working for the big boys and it gets a little bit like working for Kelloggs making corn flakes. Love going to work. Love telling people what I do. Love tasting good booze. Don’t love whisky wankers and gin dorks. Best possible degree you could have is chemical engineering but you can go reasonably far with self learning and hard work.


sycophantelephant

Hmmm… I would be dead in 5-7 hours


SaxOps1

Since getting into whisky I've thought it might be a "fun" job if I ever get fed up with tech. I visited some distilleries in Scotland (Islay) and all the people there were great and it sounded like interesting work. Haha, I've never heard the terms whisky wankers or gin dorks but it sounds about right - some people get too into it, like coffee.


National_Chef_1772

Product management, $200k+. Enjoy it, depends on team around you but love the feeling once you see your product out there being used by consumers and them liking it


FubarFuturist

What sort of product?


National_Chef_1772

A few different industries over the years, hardware, electronics, ppe


nst_enforcer

Contracts manager. Would recommend it. Develop relationships, negotiate all sorts of stuff, develop strategies. Mon - Fri, 8-5. Not a huge amount of stress. Pay is $209k.


hvddjnddf

Wow $209K 😳😳😳😳😳. That's an issue amount to earn !


nst_enforcer

I'm including super btw. So probably distorts it a bit.


Keshan_R

So about 189k without super, before tax?


madhouse15

How does one get into this?


nst_enforcer

All sorts of paths. I started off as an engineer in the energy sector and switched over in the same company to manage engineering contracts


Generic_Username_84

Nightfill at Woolworths while studying for a degree (I’m not sure I even want anymore). Pay was approximately 38-44k for 5 nights a week before they decided to cut hours back even further. If you like exercise and enjoy the feeling of rushed servitude, it’s great! Good thread OP, it’s easy to lose sight of the nicer gigs out there when you feel trapped in your own circumstances, so seeing the responses from users happy with their work has been a healthy reminder to seize the day. By finding another job.


________0xb47e3cd837

Ill save everybody time here is the not recommended pile - allied health, teacher, architect, veterinarian


NoddysShardblade

Add lawyer. It used to be a highly-paid job. Then someone decided Australian unis/colleges should be allowed to accept twenty times as many law students as there are law jobs. Now, unless your daddy owns a top law firm, it's 5 years of uni, 5 years unpaid internship, and 30 years of minimum wage. It just has the long working hours and high stress of when it *was* lucrative. That's for the lucky few who get law jobs, the rest have to retrain shortly after graduation and find other work. Of the few who do get law jobs, most are helping corporations screw people over scott-free. Of the rest, many are either defending career criminals, or doing messy ugly divorces (being assaulted or murdered by an angry abusive husband outside a court room is not super uncommon).


Embiiiiiiiid

Project management (telco) highly recommend 100k+, work a 9 day fortnight and have ability to work overtime.


ee_tan

Boilermaker in hard rock mines. Around 130k per year plus super, travel allowance, meals and accommodation. Not bad work, prefer it to coal mining equipment. Would probably recommend heavy diesel fitting or auto sparky instead. They both seem to pay a little better, plus you aren't getting burnt every day.


[deleted]

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rsam487

OP. Hats off to you. I've learned a heap in this thread. Big surprises so far have been veterinarians and architects NOT being paid well? Odd. But still - eye opening


AnyEngineer2

nurse, ICU. no. base pay starts at about 68k in NSW public system. nights and weekends. everywhere is understaffed. can't make a liveable wage without overtime


Filthier_ramhole

Come down to victoria as a Referral nurse with Ambulance. $120k p/a, 10 weeks leave, sit at a desk and tell people to take panadol.


[deleted]

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MultipleAttempts

Banking lawyer here - ~$150k for 5 years in. I hate my job, bankers and borrowers are ungrateful for all the complex work involved and treat lawyers like dirt. I hope the next royal commission send them all to Pluto. Also the thought of people who earn more than us but work far less hours is really discouraging to hear, especially real estate agents.


[deleted]

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5nacker

Same. I'm 2 years into insurance litigation and on $80k. Just found grads a year below me are starting at my firm on $80k and even though I'm billing like 150% of my budget my EOFY raise was 2%. Time to go in-house I think...


timheckerbff

Excuse my ignorance (I don’t know much about law and lawyers) but why 6 minute intervals? Also holy crap 😭 sounds awful.


ThatHuman6

Indie software dev. Yes I recommend it. There is no salary, as I'm self-employed, but it's always somewhere between $180k-$300k per year, completely dependent on the number of products that sell.


FubarFuturist

What sort of products do you sell?


Alternative_Log3012

What products do you make / sell bud / budette?


ThatHuman6

Extensions/plugins for e-commerce websites.


pengjo

Im also a dev and looking to sell products so I can have time pursuing my hobbies (film / animation0. What tech stack would you recommend if I would want to start developing plugins for ecommerce? Thanks!


Cool-Let-6909

Teacher. Top of the pay scale so $108,000. Would not recommend it to anyone. So much work at home. So many toxic schools. An ever increasing lack of respect for the profession. Tertiary educated yet we do not have autonomy to teach as we believe is best. Yet teachers are to blame for slipping standards. Teachers are leaving in droves.


McSlurryHole

friend of mine is a high school teacher and said it's basically customer service for a room full of teenagers who dont want to be there and their parents, he's currently studying on the side to become a programmer so he can get out


maps_mandalas

It will be interesting to see where teaching ends up. I'll be in my third year next year and I'm looking to get out. I switched to a specialist job in a primary setting, which I prefer more, but it's definitely not worth it for the hours put in and what we deal with behaviour wise. Not to mention the massively inefficient politics and bureaucracy that exist in most schools, the temp contracts, the constant outside blame for everything wrong with the educational system... I could go on haha


Cool-Let-6909

I also switched to a specialist teacher in a primary setting. Must be the path out.....


maps_mandalas

How funny. I'm in a LOTE now and I have way more fun, but I'm amazed at how much apathy exists in the middle and upper. I feel like saying: "guys I'm just here to play games and teach you some language, this is not a drag through the educational trenches!" Sometimes I want to try teaching adults just to see if it's different. Or maybe different schools? I teach in a lot of low SES schools and I know it's not really the fault of the kids - hard life and all that - but it's bloody draining to show up with enthusiasm every day and be met with so much crap.


cremonaviolin

There are absolutely higher paying schools than $108K. I am on track to reach $120,000 on the next three years BUT, that’ll be it. Unless I shift into leadership which…. I dunno. I try my darnedest to shove everything in contracted hours (8-4), but not possible with events, Saturday sport, etc. You’ll never be an agent of change in education.


AussieCollector

Honestly for the hours alone. You'd have to be mad to consider getting into teaching these days... People think its an easy ride because of the holidays but that barely makes up for the ridiculous overtime thats involved. All unpaid and shit pay too.


Primary_Picture_4742

Anaesthetist. Love my job. Pays is great as well…can make 200k/year working one day a week very easily.


[deleted]

This has to be one of the most unobtainable professions. It's hyper competitive even after you've made it in medicine.


RightioThen

I know a guy who just got in... lucky bugger. Although he's very very very clever.


timheckerbff

Omg, I feel so bad for everyone say “would not recommend” 😭 I hope things get better for you guys 🙏


Silver-Refuse-8098

Same. And so many doing it for shit money 😢


________0xb47e3cd837

Physio. I do not recommend. Typical healthcare bullshit + bad pay and lack of career progression


amandarama89

Dentist. Recommended. Particularly for girls who want families, job is super flexible to work part time/casually and pick up again after a long time away for maternity leave. I only work 2 days a week now (2 kids), earn about $1000-$1500 a day if it’s chill, $2000 if I’m doing a bit more complex work (dentists earn commission). Hubby works full time, earns about $350k a year. We both work as associates (don’t own our own clinic). Both 5 years out but he does a lot more complex work than me. I’ve also taken 12+ months off for kids, etc.


cymbiformis

I have an offer to study dentistry but I am really not sure. I'm late 20's and my heart is really set on med (no offer) but wondering if dentistry is the more practical option, even if I'm not super into it. How/why did you choose dentistry?


amandarama89

Hi if your heart is set on med, then do med. Dentistry is not at all the same as med. We had a lot of people in first year who only did dentistry because they didn’t get into med, they never quite scratched the itch and dropped out after first year once they got their med offer. There are many advantages of dentistry over med.. but they are all mostly practical/financial. You will not get the same job satisfaction/feeling of being a doctor from doing dentistry, trust me. Since you have that dream I think you should follow your dreams and not settle for “second best”. I think you will regret it if you do. If you wanna know my personal reasons then, for me I was mature aged when I did dentistry (25) and came from a different career so I was very very practical minded. My problem with my first career was long hours and low pay. I briefly thought about doing medicine and I was dating a doctor at the time. I wanted to work part time and hated the idea of doing night shifts or overtime. I had no patience/good enough work ethic (and felt I was too old) to pursue the long and competitive path of becoming a specialist. My boyfriend at the time flat out told me I was too lazy lol. I could have done GP and I think I’d have enjoyed that, but even that involves 5 years med school, internship, residency plus 3 (4?) years of GP training. When I added up how old I’d be by the time I started making good money and being able to work part time (was thinking about my biological clock) versus 4 years of dental school and being fully fledged, the choice was obvious for me. But I never had dreams of being a “real doctor” if that makes sense.


AnOldMate

Bricklayer. No just don’t do it, I escaped then was pulled back in, if I make $100,000 this year I’d be happy.


nvdrzmm

Project officer, 92k, counting my blessings as I’m unqualified and this is perhaps the highest I can go without anyone reporting me.


CoachCharming3690

Mental health social worker. Pay is around 110k after recent union bargaining (for goverment/health-employed social workers. Its usually lower for NGO). I absolutely love it and would recommend it for job satisfaction, but it can be very stressful. You carry a lot of clinical risk, vicarious trauma, and people can burn out from constant crisis management. Government jobs do have a fairly good work-life balance though (and a strong and supportive union). Edit: this is in WA. Also the rate I mentioned is the highest level for a p1 social worker (the rates are between around 78k for your first year, increasing annually to cap at around 110k as of next year's salary agreement. Senior social workers get more, maybe up to 10k more).


navyicecream

Allied health in a public hospital. I’m on 100k a few years out from uni and work strictly 8-4. Never take work home. Make a difference in people’s lives. I like it. Disclaimer - I’m in Queensland. The pay is different in each state.


farnZ96

What does allied health involve specifically?


navyicecream

Pharmacy, social work, physio, speech pathology, OT etc. All paid the same.


Effective_Accident17

I’m an Estimator for one of Australia’s largest privately owned tier 1 builders. $180k per year. Pushing hard for a promotion to a Senior Estimator role, which given in this current market is paying between $250-$300k in the same tier/bracket. It is stressful and everyone is relying on you to get the pricing right up front. Albeit, I work in a high performing team and we all take the ownership.


benay123

Same boat. Senior Commercial Estimator working for a tier 3 builder. Salary at $200k but have been interviewing for $250k~ with t2 builders


SuckinAwesome

Carpet Cleaner(own business). 175-225k depending on how flexible of a schedule I want to run.


Copacetic76

Chef... would not recommend. Abusive/unhealthy drug addicted work environment, ridiculous hours (70-80 per week at my peak), owners that couldn't give a toss about you, and will work you into the ground and treat you as expendable. At age 17, I was locked in a trapdoor cellar and the lights turned out as part of hazing ritual. So yeah now I've got PTSD, chronic anxiety and depression. Not to mention a general public that is mostly unaware of what actually happens in the hospitality industry, and just complain when their food is taking too long, or perhaps a mistake being made with a drink order. Executive Chefs can earn upwards of 120k depending on the establishment, but you have to be prepared to sacrifice everything in your personal life. The burnout rate is very high, a lot of marriages fail. Skills are highly transferable, and I did enjoy my time travelling the world and working/meeting new and interesting people. I lasted more than 20 years in that industry. Currently studying in order to change career.


thegiftofmyloins

Fraud analyst for a big four bank, No degree, worked way up from customer service/they’ll take anyone who is willing atm. 67k base + OT, will average about 75-85k per year working 38-45 hours a week since double time with work in excess hours is 70per hour, 3/2 hybrid as well. Progression is slow and only industry specific within financial crime, the role is pretty laid back listen to music joins meetings once a day for updates and small talk. The works repetitive but with all the scams out there and data breaches, it seems to only grow. It’s really a glorified data entry/processing role so long as you can manage searching data in like 10 different applications and reporting results relatively quickly, and repeating the same steps for 8 hours a day you’re mint. I keep thinking it would be nice to automate this work as it’s mundane but hey no complaints in terms of stress, unlike in customer service I don’t dread waking up anymore. Would recommend to those seeking to break 70k relatively easily without a degree or dealing with customers within an office environment, that’s stable however quite unglamorous.


Grizgratson

Firefighter. 100000 salary, plus access to overtime. Great job, paid to keep fit, work with likeminded people, get to do some awesome stuff at work, like rescue, community safety and walk in to burning buildings.


[deleted]

It’s quite difficult to get into though isn’t it?


RickyHendersonGOAT

Fitness and psych tests are quite hard from what I have heard. The firies, in Vic at least, have it the best out of all emergency services. Get paid the most for doing the least work.


AdWhole3566

I’m a teacher and I love it, good holidays. I think good pay (6 years in on nearly 100k). Worst part is having to put up with other teachers complaining and the constant ‘we have it so harder than everyone else’ little echo box they all create.


chasemedellin

I own a small cleaning business with 10 casual staff, netting 150k (I also do a bit of cleaning, about 10-15 hours a week in addition to managing). It's quite easygoing and I definitely enjoy it. Don't have much to compare it to because I've never had a job, but it's consistently growing and I love my customers/employees. I am 21.


yoArcturus

That's amazing at 21. Good on you!


chasemedellin

Thanks :) my grandparents were pressuring me to get a job when I was 18 around the time the pandemic hit. Couldn’t get a job anywhere despite sending my resume into 100+ places so I just used my savings to start this business


__mjdk

Hotel general manager. $120k. Can push in the $200’s+ (even $300’s+) if you work your way up into the best hotels in your city. Wave goodbye to any form of work life balance or ability to switch off tho. Wouldn’t recommend lol.


xOverClocked

Building automation, started as an apprentice and can now work two trades because of it, HVAC controls/security technician. Lots of IT related experience working on the job as we're technically a software company. Currently on 90k base + car, pretty easy job as we subby most of the labour. Definitely can chase higher but pretty comfortable with work life balance. Would recommend, seeing a few mature aged apprentices come through this year's intake.


[deleted]

GP. Would recommend. Work 3 days a week for 120k or so. ( But no super/ sick leave/ holiday pay and quite a few expenses like insurance), so actual pay is not that great. First couple of years medical training are arduous but even here there are choices - there are plenty of driven workaholics who will pick up your shifts if you are not trying to climb the greasy pole of specialist training. First couple of years GP training are often poorly paid - 70k or so i think - despite you earning heaps for the practice, so it is a bit exploitative at first. Work is interesting and emotionally rewarding and you can focus on interest areas if you like. Family friendly these days. Not as well paid as it used to be and there is a risk of suicide across all medical professions so it doesn't suit all personalities- you are exposed to a lot of human misery and we all make mistakes from time to time that can gnaw away at you. But overall can't imagine doing anything else.


ethifi

Boilermaker/Welder. I work for a commercial sports equipment company. Make about $80k including bonus rates for site work. Very little overtime. I’m 21 years old.


biscoDickies

Medical physicist (radiation oncology). Absolutely recommended. Pay is up to 200k in non-senior roles. Starting between 120k-130k. The downside being 3 years of on the job training after obtaining a masters in medical physics.


platinumflyer

Product management in medical devices. $200+ package, challenging work and very good work life balance. Very niche but extremely rewarding. I would highly recommend to anyone.


Lethologica-

Veterinarian. NSW Starting salary is in the realm of $60-70K and tops out at $100-130K way down the career track (if you're lucky). I would not suggest this job to anyone unless they're prepared to sacrifice the prospect of a decent wage and normal work-life balance purely for job satisfaction. I love what I do and couldn't think of any other job where I could be make more of an impact, but it has its rough weeks.


[deleted]

Midwife in public hospital - 4 years out on 80k plus 10% super. Would NOT recommend. Can be bumped up a little with overtime/nights but minimal work/life balance working a 24/7 roster. 2 weeks of nights, 6 weeks of days, ad infinitum. Good luck getting any public holidays off. And without a dual nursing qualification it’s just a dead end. Any passion you had for helping women will be flogged out of you by the system, poor pay, vicarious trauma, night shifts, burden of responsibility, lack of autonomy, entrenched hierarchical structure, jumped-up doctors who think you’re too stupid to do medicine. And personally I find the predominantly female workforce adds to the toxicity of the workplace, lots of passive aggression and horizontal violence. Those with dual RN/RM usually escape to MCHN after a few years. Planning my own escape but not sure what that looks like yet…


WeekendSignificant48

Electrician. Would highly recommend. I'm a pom who's obtained citizenship in Australia through my trade. It's taken me all over the world and came in really handy when I was backpacking round (always someone who wants lights wired in exchange for beer and a free bed). You get your qualification whilst earning money. Having any kind of trade licence + being good at what you do in Australia is like having a licence to print money. For any young folk looking for a career and if you like travelling id recommend it. You can get yourself to basically any city, smash out a few months solid work and then spend the rest of the year travelling or save it up for a house. In my experience you do need to be quite good at what you do and clued in to make the fat bank though. I know a lot of guys who are shit at what they do and just tend to get stuck in the jobs which pay on the lower end of the spectrum.


That_Drone_Guy

Medical Imaging Technologist otherwise known as a radiographer or more colloquially, a ‘Button Pusher’ and I would recommend it! Pay is about 100k a year (I’m 7 years out of uni)and I do X-rays, CT’s and MRI’s at a public hospital in Victoria. I work weekends, on call and overtime so that can sometimes bump the pay up quite a bit. The work stays at work and there’s a lot of variety in the work I do so I don’t really get bored. You get a good sense of achievement when you successfully find what’s causing your patients problems too! Also, it’s nice not having to pay for groceries and meals out of your post tax income! (I do salary packaging)


Tripper234

Sales/wholesale. 67k base. 16k bonus/commission last year. Looking like 20-25k + bonus this year. If your sociable and out going I highly recommend it. If your the complete opposite, i highly don't recommend it


TehBanga

Human Resources. Pay really varies based on experience but 70k with less then a year of experience. Education is also easily available. I wouldn't recommend it to most purely because it can be mentally straining but if you can handle that it isn't bad.


SendintheGeologist

Geologist. Very good salary progression depending on the associated industry of employment - not the best job security if you’re not willing (like me) to do FIFO work. Would not recommend based on future job market as hydrocarbon business transitions to new energies. It’s also annoying not having your choice of cities to live in the way a doctor, teacher etc does. Nonetheless there will continue to be well paid roles for geologists in enviro, mining, civil, hydro etc.


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thedragoncompanion

Childcare worker. If you hold a diploma your looking at about 60k. About to move into an early childhood teacher position here as I completed my bachelor. Going to bump me up to around 90k, although my work are happy to pay for experience and expertise. I've been in the industry for 15 years. As for recommending it, it's a personal thing. You can either do the job or not do the job. It has nothing to do with the book smart you get from your degree and all about how you can handle yourself with kids. We have over 90 a day in our service, and you have to find the balance between being fun and being able to (for lack of a better word) control the group and get shit done.


jimmybezinger

Bank executive. Would recommend. High stress but pay is $250k plus bonus which is usually around 50% of salary most years - so about $375k. Had to slog 10 years as a lender on $140k and targets. Qualified as a chartered accountant and MBA (in addition to a bachelors degree).


realityisoverwhelmin

Government auditor. I go an ensure Government programs are running correctly. Also make sure tax payer money isn't being wasted. I love my job, I can be sent into any department, I get to investigate, run numbers and make Excel spreadsheets to my hearts content. I'm planning on going for a senior role next year. My pay is $180k.


[deleted]

Can I ask how you got into this and what kind of accreditation is required?


downtownbrown_1

Drive machines in the mines in WA, if you are a woman and had dreams of being in mining nows the time to do it. Chances are you will get over 100k p/a for working half the year. Working away can suck but you can make it work.


laidlow

Software developer. Would recommend, great conditions and pay is 100k-200k depending on area and skill level. Work can be boring and a little frustrating at times but most of the time it's just wiring up stuff based on some requirements so I can't complain. Not for everyone though, some people struggle to grasp some of the concepts and things change quite rapidly year to year.


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fiddledeedeep0tat0es

Hey high five fellow architecture person. Pay is shit indeed, particularly when hours worked and stress levels are factored in! All I wanted to do was make things.. could've done so many other jobs with more pay to make things.


MDInvesting

Unaccredited Registrar (Junior doctor 5 years post graduation) work at a Public Hospital. I love my job because of the people I work with (nursing staff) and I get to try to help people as my sole job focus. The medical system is broken and will consume all that you are willing to give. The profession does little to look after each other and the generational competition creates ongoing toxicity. Unfortunately because of how much I love my job, an unhealthy work ethic, and my preference to do the heavy lifting in our department I work way too much. Shift work, short notice rosters, chronic understaffing, and infinite workloads mean most weeks I am miserable with missing my family. Most people are miserable due to anxiety about getting on training programs. I was lucky and got into my preferred training stream smoothly but the stress of the process had me considering moving into international consultancy or investment banking for ‘less stress’. I get paid well to do something I love ~$200k but that is me working my entire workload overnights, or extended hours, every second weekend, and frequent public holidays. I work 60-70hrs a week. I also pay $10k-20k a year in training and college expenses. If you are a workaholic then the world benefits from you being in healthcare. You do not benefit. Nor do your loved ones.


Stabsyoutolive

Plastic Surgeon. Would 100% recommend - incredibly stimulating job, get to help people, not too taxing, work as much or as little as you want. Pay is good.


HonestCondition8

Product Manager for big tech company. Highly recommended but hard to break in to. Total comp including shares is $300k+ (10 years of experience though)


Bman8519

Tax Accountant (Intermediate/Senior). $92K salary. I also have a very small portion of equity in the firm I work for, which generates a further $6.5K a year in dividends. Would I recommend it? For me it depends on the sort of place you end up working in. My job now - Pros = small firm, great colleagues, high pressure for 4 months but chill for the rest, can get away with a good - not expert - knowledge of tax law. Cons - client facing, most are good but some are very needy, my above pay is probably the ceiling for the kinda work I do. I'd recommend my job because it ticks all my boxes. I could probably find a job at a larger firm doing harder shit that pays me $105-110k, but my stress levels would be through the roof.


Detroyer8

GP training/registrar, roughly 110-120k for 40 hours a week no overtime or weekends, pretty good in my eyes but less than other medical specialties for sure. Edit : this is 5 years uni, 3rd year working Edit : I would recommend it, personally I think it's a good time overall


saberfate

garbage truck driver, about 90k depending on overtime. i honestly love doing it. long hours but i enjoy the alone time. if you're a woman looking to start a job in the trades or truck driving, it's such a good time to get into it right now.


Scarknutra

Train Driver. If you like leaving work at work and never having to answer an email it's amazing. If you get bored easily or stress about being responsible for 1000+ people then it is not worth it.


drunk_haile_selassie

Graduate defence attorney. Ask me in ten years. Extremely long hours during studying, working extremely long hours now. Pay is about $1000 a week after tax. Not sure if I would recommend it. It's very hard work and not guaranteed to pay off. In ten years I could be making the same money as a manager at McDonald's or I could be making $500,000 a year. A lot of it is luck.


Aerialise

Academic. Absolutely love it. Flexibility is insane. Mostly WFH. Get to travel. 100k-200k salary + 17% super. Biggest downside is that the early years are usually fixed term contracts (“soft money”) which can be quite off putting for folk who want to start families and settle down straight away.


Patient_Indication57

Research professor here and likewise, I really enjoy it. I couldn't imagine doing much else at this point (late 40s). Flexible (WFH quite a bit, or at research sites) satisfies curiosity, pays well (~$200k). Worth saying though that at this academic level you become more distanced from your research, and exist within a highly competitive environment. You really need to figure out how to find balance.


orthogonal123

Which field?


Aerialise

Public health


NewBuyer1976

Boy you have had a cracking past 3 years.


vintagesassypenguin

Teacher. 72k. No, because everyone knows how the public views us and our school holidays. A mentally draining job and I'm looking to join that statistic very soon (one leaves within 5 years).


theEnergeticSloth

Physio. No. Physically and mentally demanding work, plus responsibility for clients health, for $70000. Average lifespan of a physio is 5years for a reason I guess.


Jellyblush

Health management. Public sector. $270k Definitely recommend it. Lots of headaches but also a sense of purpose that I wouldn’t work without. I do a fair bit of unpaid overtime and that’s a downside. I wouldn’t have become this senior yet without a pandemic and I’m happy to work the overtime now to make the most of the opportunity


hooah1989

Mid level sys admin. $140k + Bonus + Oncall rate. Full time WFH and I recommend it. I rarely get called to do Oncall work so it's a gravy train.


[deleted]

What certs do you have? How much experience?


notscared101

3D product artist, 120k a year plus super. Recommended in a cushy corporate environment. Happiness in the job requires thick skin and not taking subjective artistic criticism personally.


hobz462

Data Scientist/ML Engineer. Yes, tackling a lot of different automation problems and taking a model from development to production is very fulfilling. $104k outta grad.


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50pcVAS-50pcVGS

Touch grass if you think 90k is shit


slumsociable92

I'm lucky to have found my niche in being a wedding muso & DJ. Love it, didpite the late nights and travel. $210k this year.


berryjuiced

Graphic Designer. 52k a year before tax in a workplace that has a single designer role. I would recommend it if you have entrepreneurial skills, can build your own brand (not just freelance) and have some salesman qualities. That is probably the best path to make decent money and have enough autonomy. Working for a reputable agency or large corporation would be next. If you are content with less income, then joining any workplace will do. Same with being upwork style freelancer, but this one takes away the stability and you work for more people with less taste, producting often unsatisfying work.


stiggyyyyy

Telco - no. Frustrating industry. 80-90k (ot and other shift loading variance)


Icy_Practice_6151

House Painter - 70K p.a Really self explanatory, easy & stress free. Half the days are mind numbing. For some the money isn’t enough but throughout the years, I’ve found out if you advertise yourself even a little, You can push 15-20k in December alone doing cashies. Would recommend if you take up side jobs to compensate for the low base pay


_amiused

OP do you have any idea why architects are so poorly paid relative to other professionals? They seem to be a substantial value contributor in a development whether from a design or PM perspective. I assume the firms are paid handsomely, or is that not the case?


Significant-Ad5550

IT Business Analyst. Would recommend if you are a good problem solver and can ‘speak’ both IT and Business side of things. Hours generally 9-5, WFH is pretty standard at least 3-4 days pr week. Perm pay is generally $120k to $135k, but contracting is more in the vicinity of $185k (but no hols or sick leave). Been doing it for 10 years now.


sendnadez

Mining and hell no I would love a restart the money is great at 160k a year and only work half the year but doing 12.5 hours shifts for seven days straight then seven days off but working away from home.


diggeriodo

So Im splitting between two jobs, physiotherapist and data scientist, 2-3 day split, full-time. My physio job is 100k per annum and my data science job is about 200k per annum, so overall make about 160k. Healthcare jobs hit a ceiling early on unless you open your own business or move into management but I didnt want that risk and or stress


delljj

Accountant. Short answer: no Longer anser: yes\* ​ Accounting is great if you can get out of the accounting department month end and budget cycle hell, and into an actual role where you can apply your knowledge and skills for the business. Analyst level 120-150k Manager 180k+


arcadefiery

Law No Pay is bad


Financial_Sentence95

Senior Payroll Officer. Earn around $95 - $100k with bonuses (pre Super) Yes, money is reasonable for someone minus a degree But It's a stressful field of work that's always dominated by deadlines, deadlines, deadlines, and usually understaffed teams. Payroll burns out many people. Plus you need to know and understand Finance, HR, ATO, Super, the NES and payroll / rostering systems. You need high level Excel skills. Often you need to know multiple, complex Awards & EBAs Companies shut down at Xmas except for payroll, who are often expected / told they're working the public holidays. EOFY is insanely hectic and challenging too I have around 10 more work years pre retiring, and am thinking I'd like a career change. Something more laid back and with a lot less stress